Video philosophy

I have been absent from this space for a couple of weeks now, which is not my normal way of managing the blog. The thing is, I have been spending most of my available time experimenting with communication through another medium: video. In this YouTube and Vimeo day and age, many of you suggested that I did that. So I thought I'd give it a try, even as a way to balance out the manner in which I communicate: so far, it has been almost entirely in written form, except for the couple of radio interviews I give each month. In this spirit, I want to share with you here the early results of my initiative. Here are the two first-released videos (episodes one and five) of an interview series encompassing eight videos, six of which are yet to be finished over the coming months. The first video, above, basically lays some ground work for what follows, by attempting to dispel the myth that science has (almost) explained all reality and, therefore, philosophy (particularly metaphysics) is no longer needed.

The second video, below, which is actually episode five (the episodes are being shot out of order), talks about a favorite topic of this blog: the relationship between the mind and the brain.

Both videos above are more analytical in structure, well supported by evidence, and the arguments are constructed according to strict logic. To seek a balance with the more artistic and dreamy aspect of our minds, there is also a more imaginative video which simply tells a story about the 'Otherworld'... a story that dances flirtatiously on the border between philosophy and art; between fact and fiction.

Comments

Hi BernardoI have just listened to your "Otherworld" video - I am a bit confused - it sounds like the concept of "oversouls" that I have read elsewhere - do you mean that we as individuals may be part of an "oversoul" that incarnates as several separate people? I have not read that idea in any of your books?

Hi IIM,Yes, in the context of the fantasy one could interpret the meta-self as an 'oversoul' 'incarnating' as multiple people across time and space... the nice thing about a myth is that there are many interesting ways in which it can be interpreted, so it becomes alive... :-)And you're correct, I have never written about this in any of my books.Cheers, Bernardo.

Hi Alastair,Thanks. I don't really have a firm opinion on the idea of a holographic mind, purely because I haven't studied it enough. I am aware of Pribram's ideas on memory being holographic, but I feel I need to explore this a little more before taking a position.Cheers, B.

Hi Rita. Thanks a lot, it's great to know you enjoyed it. And yes, I will try to link my facebook page (facebook.com/BernardoKastrup) to every interview I give that is publicly available, from now on. Some interviews, however, are available only to subscribers of the respective sites. Cheers, Bernardo.

Hi Bernardo. Don't you think it's possible that the consciousness more focused on earth can be affected by time and space while the consciousness freed from earth and matter is also freed from the constrains of time and space?

Hi Rita,I suspect that time and space are themselves 'artifacts' of what you call 'earth-focused' consciousness. So yes, I suspect that non-local consciousness is not constrained by time or space.Cheers, Bernardo.

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Bernardo Kastrup has a Ph.D. in computer engineering with specializations in artificial intelligence and reconfigurable computing. He has worked as a scientist in some of the world's foremost research laboratories, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the "Casimir Effect" of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Bernardo has authored many academic papers and books on philosophy and science. His three most recent books are: More Than Allegory, Brief Peeks Beyond and Why Materialism Is Baloney.